Call For Video & Audio Content....

Hey Y'all!!!


First, thank you again for your continued patronage of VFTS, as well as the 5th Quarter movement at large. This blog, nor the 5th quarter would be experiencing the success it has over the years without your support.

Now, I have a few announcements to make:

1) VFTS now has it's own video channel/site!!! In preparation for the upcoming season, I decided to give you, the reader, a more active role in making VFTS unique...VFTS Jukebox is a part of that plan. 5Q and VFTS readers will be able to upload and comment on video footage that you're able to gather form this season, as well as past seasons. This is a new twist that I hope will make things even more interesting as it pertains to VTFS, The 5th, and our craft in general. VFTS Jukebox can be found here...

2) The VTFS Championship Series: Yes, VTFS will go there. Competition is what has made our craft the entertaining entity that it is today. I figured it's time to actually put that fact into practice (albeit unofficially). A panel of 10 former HBCU Bandsmen\Alumni will attempt to do what programs from here to the Florida panhandle readily claim every season:

Who the best band will be for the 2008-09 season...There will be a bi-weekly poll of the top 15 HBCU programs, culminating in conference champions, as well as a final ranking as the 1st VFTS Grand Champion, which will be released after the last official collective Band event of the season, the Honda Battle of The Bands. Details on the VFTS Championship Series will be revealed in coming weeks...It's gonna be an oppurtunity for you, the reader, to make your opinions known about who's got it and who hasn't...More Importantly, it's about the comraderie and Esprit De Corps that's synonymous with what we do...

Well, that concludes this week's edition of View From The Sidelines...Stay tuned for more announcements and news on upcoming contribution openings and events as the new deason draws closer...

Until Next Entry!!!

VFTS Blast From The Past: Aggie Excellence

Vintage North Carolina A&T, 1987...



Small Band...HUGE Sound....1999




Quality is better than Quantity...1999


Footage provided by Tapemaster 26 and the 5th Quarters' very own "voice", John Hodge...Enjoy the footage and comment at your leisure!!!

View From The Sidelines Needs You!!!

VFTS is looking for wide-eyed, eager contributors for the 2008-09 Season!

The upcoming band season is shaping up to be a great one, which means VFTS has to be ahead of the curve in order to bring you the best coverage and commentary of the "in's and out's" that the fall has to offer. VFTS has some cool projects on the drawing board to make your experience here as interactive and fun as possible. Anybody who might be interested in being a contributor to this season's VFTS projects check out the forum posting here on the 5th Quarter message board...

Feel free to contact me here at VFTS if you'd like to become a contributor for this season! Until next entry...

VTFS Blast From The Past: Classic Boom/Box Memories: 1989

Southern University vs. Jackson State University - 1989 (Parts 1&2)

Full Show: Southern University

Part 1:


Part 2:


Full Show: Jackson State University

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Thanks to Tapemaster26 and other video historians for documenting our craft for all to see...Until the next entry, Enjoy!!!

Closing The Gap

First thing's first:

Welcome to the first summer posting for "View From The Sidelines"! After another extended hiatus, the blog (and it's writer...*lol* ) are back up to speed and ready to deliver some of the best commentary around on the phenomenon that is the HBCU marching band experience. For those of you that have followed VFTS from it's beginnings until now, I'd like to extend a heart-felt thank you for your continued patronage. This column's longevity would not have been possible without your interest and participation. For those of you that are new to VFTS, welcome!!! I (as well as our sponsors at the 5th Quarter ) hope you find as much enjoyment out of "The Craft" as we all have over the years.

Now, to the topic at hand; Those of us who follow HBCU programs are very aware of the hierarchy that currently exists between the more recognized organizations and some of our smaller members. Whether we want to collectively admit to it or not, there are 'haves' and 'have-nots' among our programs...Program longevity and success is something that's hard to come by, and even harder to maintain from season to season. Of course, every program that puts their spats on one at a time wants to reach the pinnacle of the the craft. The question is how does a program get there? Once that program has reached a satisfactory level of success, how does said program maintain that success consistently? There are many variables that go into making a good, stable program, but there have only been a handful of them that have turned those factors into a long lasting standard of excellence.

The Honda Selections are In...Now What?

Months of rampant speculation came to a close last week. The voting has ceased; the tally is in and we now know who's gonna be in the Georgia Dome under the bright lights when the New Year hits.

Now that the line-up is set, what can we expect? Well, if this year ends up anything like the previous ones, we're in for one heck of a show. The Honda Battle of The Bands event has developed into one of the premire events for our craft, for both bandsmen and fan alike. The event, and the multitude of independent activities that seem to surrond it every year, give thousands of fans the oppurtunity to fellowship and enjoy the sights and sounds of Atlanta.

This year is expected to be just as exciting as previous ones. I'll take the oppurtunity to profile some of the ensembles that will make up the field in this year's Honda in later entries. in the meantime, congratulations to those that made it!!!

Until the next entry....

There's No Crying in Marching Band...

Alright... I've got a question.

When did simple physical training become taboo among bandsmen? Maybe it's just me, but more and more young folks that come to participate in the "craft" seem to think that they can just "show up" and excel at entertaining the audiences we do. Don't get me wrong; the breed of musician that's coming to our programs today are just as talented (maybe even moreso) as the the kids from our era and before.

So where's this change coming from? Is it secondary teaching? Is it just the nature of the times these new bandsmen find themselves in? I'm not sure we can really put a finger on a single reason. What i do know is what I observe as a fan and lately, that apathy that we all dread for our programs is becoming more and more common place. Performances like the one posted here didn't just happen because players figured they'd loaf it on the practice field...It takes preparation, hard work, and dedication in order to gie our fans wha they deserve; A high energy, high quality, and unique halftime experience. That being said, this isn't a "bash the young folks" entry. We're just as much to blame (collectively) for waht we've seen. It's about time we older heads start passing down more in terms of knowledge and less in terms of pride and bravado.

Either way, we're still privleged to see the fruits of our work as bandsmen in the next generation. let's not let that generation lose sight of what that really means...

Wha do you think???

A Spartan Resurgence...

Foreman field...It's a place that contains ALOT of memories for those that are familiar with the historic band landscape in the Hampton Roads area. In a time when Dick Price Stadium was nothing more than a student's pipe dream, Foreman field was the location where a storied history was written on a weekly basis. During the CIAA's golden age, it was the birthplace of a single program's mystique; A legendary presence that would cast it's shadow over the CIAA for decades. Legendary names, legendary games, and an overwhelming spirit of Esprit de corps would become the hallmark of a program known as the 'Spartan Legion'.

It's been over two decades since the Legion has called the cozy confines of Foreman field home, but the mystique that lingered over that hallowed place is slowly starting to inhabit the Spartan's new home at Price Stadium. In fact, this current incarnation of the Spartan Legion is starting to write it's own chapter to this growing legend. Improved recruiting, staff stability, and a knack for precision has brought this program back to the pinnacle of the HBCU scene in an astonishingly short time period. In doing so, the Spartan Legion has truly done their part to shift the balance of power in a conference in which programs in the Florida panhandle have been the focal point... As successful as these last edition's of the Legion have been, I can't help to think of the legacy they've inherited. The fuel for this ascension didn't start burning this decade; It's always been there, just under the surface. The late 90's saw some trying times for this program, but the legacy built in that stadium over on Hampton Blvd. ensured that there would be a re-awakening; A resurgence...

Yes, Foreman Field is a place that contains ALOT of memories; Alot of tradition. There's alot to be said about that word; that concept. If you ask a Spartan Legion Alum about the meaning of the word, he (or she) may tell you to take a mini road trip across town to the campus of Old Dominion University. There, among the modern convention center and urban campus, you'll see a not-so-modern staduim. A stadium where a legacy was born...

I'm Crazylegs, and I've said My Piece